Once more into the fray
by NikkieSheepie
Summary: Mary is back, Sam has been shot... While we wait for Season 12, here is what might have happened after the Season 11. Obvious spoilers for Season 11, written using snippets of info from spoiler videos/photos but will obviously all be wrong as soon as we finally get to see Season 12!
1. Chapter 1

My Idea's on what might have transpired after season 11. Mary is back, Sam is missing...  
Due to the very nature of this story there are season 11 spoilers, and I began writing using what few morsels of information we were given through photo's and preview clips for season 12 so more teeny tiny spoilers there. Obviously as soon as more clips come out this will suddenly be wildly wrong, but it's fun to play right?

 **Chapter 1**

"Mom?" Asked Dean, staring at the woman in front of him. It couldn't be her, could it? His mother was dead, had been for years, yet here she was, looking exactly the way she had that night in the nursery. Exactly like she did in the photo's he kept by his bed in the bunker.

Mary stared back at the man, utter confusion plastered across her face. Did he just call her 'mom'? There was no physical way that was possible, he had to be in his thirties, her children were just that, children. She looked around herself once again, nothing made sense. Why, how was she here? She'd been in her house, she'd put her children to bed, there'd been a noise in the nursery so she'd gone to check on it, and now she was in a forest, or garden, whatever. It made no sense.

"Mom? Are you, really, real?" Asked Dean, hardly able to formulate a full sentence. All thoughts of trying to find a phone signal had vanished the moment he'd seen her, as he moved slowly towards her nothing else in the world mattered right now. His mom was right here in front of him, and he didn't understand how this could be.

Mary eyed the man warily as he approached, he wasn't threatening her, if anything he seemed as shocked as she was at her appearance. As he reached an arm out towards her she struck out, grabbing his arm and throwing him to the ground, using his surprise to her advantage. There was no way she could overpower him in a fair fight, but she had him on the floor and in an arm lock before he knew what had hit him.

"I'll take that as a yes then." Dean grunted from his position on the floor, Mary-, his mother's, knee in his back pinning him down. "Mary, Mary Winchester." He said through gritted teeth, cursing as his arm got wrenched further up behind him. "Please, just listen to me." He racked his brain, trying to think of something, anything to placate her and coming up blank, except- "I know your husband, John. Please, let me up and I'll try to explain." How exactly he was going to explain her sudden appearance, or that he was her son he hadn't quite got figured out just yet, but he'd work something out. Dean felt Mary hesitate as he mentioned his father's name and after a few seconds she released him.

Dean stood, backing away a step to give her some space. His mind raced. How on earth did he tell her who he really was without her freaking out? She'd been a hunter, she had no doubt worked out that something supernatural was happening but how well was she going to handle the revelations he was going to have to spring on her?

"How do you know John?" She asked, the suspicion clear in her eyes, her posture far from relaxed.

He smiled a little, trying to ease the tension. "We worked together. My names-" he hesitated for a heartbeat, after calling her 'mom' did he really want to give her his real name? Might that just freak her out more, or should he give her a different name and have to explain later? "Dean." He finished. She was a hunter, she could handle whatever was thrown at her, eventually.

Mary's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Dean? Really?" Her hunter brain was taking over, it might have been somewhere around 10 years since she'd given up on the life, but the instincts never left.

Dean nodded, "Why not let me help you out? I'll get you somewhere safe then I'll explain-, well I'll explain what I can. Deal?" He shrugged off his jacket, holding it out to her, smiling gently as she accepted it.

Mary pulled the jacket on, grateful for the glorious warmth it suddenly provided. She nodded, and pulled the jacket closer around her, cursing that she was in a nightdress of all things. As she pulled the collar of 'Dean's' jacket up she inhaled the somehow comforting scent. It was as if she'd pulled her father, or John's jacket on, the feeling of familiarity hard to shake.

Checking Mary was following, Dean moved along the dirt track in what he hoped was the direction of a main road of some sort where they could hitch a ride, or steal a car. He checked his phone, having almost forgotten what had sent him traipsing through the garden in the first place, he had to call Sam, let him know he was ok. One bar of signal, just a hint of civilisation but it was enough. He tapped in Sam's number and hit call, it rung out. Cursing he tried Cas's number and the same thing happened. Pushing his frustration down he dealt with the job at hand, getting himself, and his back-from-the-dead mother to safety.

XxXx

Sam's pulse quickened involuntarily as the back of the vehicle opened, he didn't know what to expect given that he'd already been told he was being 'taken in' by the London division of the Men of Letters. Surely, given that they were supposed to be on the same side they could have just had a civil conversation, but no. He'd been shot, tied and gagged before being thrown roughly into the back of a vehicle and driven off to god knows where. At least they'd had the good graces to try and stem the bleeding from his thigh although that probably had more to do with saving the upholstery than anything else.

He struggled weakly against his restraints before wincing as the man at the rear of the vehicle grabbed his foot and wrenched Sam's bound body out onto the driveway of what appeared to be a fairly fancy suburban house. Again Sam couldn't help but wonder why the two divisions of the Men of Letters couldn't have just sat down over a cup of coffee and talked things through.

XxXx

Dean found a car parked not too far down the track, the keys left in the ignition. Looking to the sky he whispered a quick thank you before opening the passenger door and inviting his mother inside. Closing the door gently behind her he headed for the divers side, hopped in and turned the key, rock music, his kind of music playing from the speakers. "Chuck…" he said quietly with a grin on his face before turning to look at the woman beside him, looking at him as if he were a stranger, which he supposed he was to her.

"Where are we going?" She asked, a hint of suspicious accusation in her tone.

"Home. I'll take you back to my place and explain everything." He glanced over, hoping his words would satisfy her for the time being. It wouldn't take too long to get to the bunker, and his story was going to be much more believable with Sam to back him up and Cas to try and explain how Amara had brought his mother back.

Mary pursed her lips together, the man had their air of a hunter, which wasn't always a good thing but given the inexplicable situation she had found herself in hunters were probably her best company right now. She just didn't know what to make of her new companion. He'd called her 'mom', and then used the name of her oldest boy. Sure, it could be a case of mistaken identity and coincidence but how often did that happen to hunters, even retired ones.

At some point during the journey Mary must have fallen asleep, Dean placed a hand gently on her shoulder to wake her as they arrived outside the bunker. "We're here." He said simply, unable to use the word 'mom' and unwilling to call her 'Mary' he simply avoided the internal struggle it posed. She blinked gently, her eyes adjusting to the early morning sunshine as she straightened herself in her seat. "I just need to-," he paused, not sure what to say, "My brother and friend are going to be very surprised to see us." He explained, avoiding any specifics, "Just bear with me and I'll explain everything properly. Ok?"

Mary nodded slowly. She found that she trusted this 'Dean' despite her early suspicions, despite her instincts telling her she should be wary of him, her gut told her she could trust him with her life. "Your friends aren't expecting you?"

Dean shook his head, "It's a long story, but they think I'm dead." He opened his door but made no move to exit the car, "I'm sorry." He said simply before climbing out and shutting the door.

Mary was stunned for a second, why was he apologising? She quickly got out of the car, "Sorry for what?" She demanded, her demeanour having changed in an instant.

"Because what you're going to find out is going to be a lot to take in," Dean's eyes fell to the ground, "And you're not going to like what you hear."

Taken aback by his sincerity Mary stared across the roof of the car to Dean. After a few seconds she looked at her surroundings for the first time, spotting an immaculate '67 Chevy Impala parked a few feet away. Her emotions began to swirl around her; that was John's car, did that mean he was here? Dean said that he knew John so maybe-. Her heart dropped, was John a hunter? Dean was obviously a hunter and if they knew each other, and his car was here- Was John this 'friend' of Dean's who she was going to meet? But he'd been at home with her and her boys. Mary didn't know what to think as she was gently guided towards a hidden door.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't think my characterisation has gone particularly well, so sorry about that. (feel free to tell me what you think). Thanks for all the review, follows and favourites, and the plain old reads, I didn't think my story would get so much attention so fast!

As a side note, if there is one thing about season 12 I'm already annoyed about it's Toni Bevells accent. Brits do not speak with such a ridiculous accent, unless you're the Queen. I've been told that I'm 'well-spoken' (It's been picked up on a lot since I've been doing a stint in Aus) but they've made Toni Bevell about 100x posher than me! I know she's supposed to be posh, but even posh people in the UK don't really sound like that! - Rant over.

Without further ado, here's chapter 2

 **Chapter 2**

Sam stiffened as two people walked into the room he'd been left in, chained to a chair with still no explanation as to what he was doing here. As the shadows came closer he recognised one of the two women, Toni Bevell, the Woman of Letters who had broken into the bunker, repelled Cas and shot him. The second woman was a mystery to him, dressed all in black carrying a cane of some kind.

"Sam Winchester, time we had a little talk don't you think?" said his kidnapper with a hint of a smile on her smug British face.

Sam snorted, "We could have had a 'little talk' without the need for guns and chains. What the hell is going on?"

XxXx

"Guys?" Called Dean as he pushed open the door to the bunker and started down the staircase into the control room. "Guys?" He called again. He'd tried to call both Sam and Cas a couple of times on the road once Mary had fallen asleep, but neither had picked up.

He heard Mary pull the door closed behind her and follow him down, as he neared the bottom of the steps his heart was in his mouth. "Sam! Cas!" He shouted, all thoughts of his mother gone from his mind the instant he saw the pool of blood on the floor. "Dammit Sam!" He leapt the last few steps, and sprinted deeper into the bunker, stopping as he saw the blood on the wall, an angel banishing sigil. He spun on the spot slowly, taking in every inch of the familiar surroundings, looking for more clues, his eyes landing on his mother at the bottom of the stairs, her face full of concern.

Giving a small smile of encouragement Mary moved across the room to Dean's side and placed a hand gently on his shoulder. No matter what she thought of her strange situation and the man who had brought her here, he looked as if he'd lost everything. "Your friends are missing." She said simply, not a question but an acknowledgement of his situation.

Dean nodded, a tear rolling down his cheek as he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. For a few seconds he let his emotions take over before turning to face her. "I'll show you where you can tidy up, I can lend you some clothes…."

"I'm sure they'll be fine." She said, cutting off Dean's ramblings.

XxXx

Sam's breath came in ragged gasps as the silent woman moved away from him. He threw his head backwards as his lungs tried to remember how to function properly after having been electrocuted several times.

"Now, why don't we try some of those questions again hmm?" asked Ms Bevell, standing and moving towards him with an air of authority.

Sam shot her a glare. "Dean is dead. I already told you that."

She stopped a few paces away, "You did, but I don't believe you, you see I know for a fact that you Winchesters have a habit of beating death, surviving against the odds if you will."

"Dean sacrificed himself to save the world, _the entire world_ from the darkness. The fact that we are even having this conversation means he is dead." Sam replied, a lump forming in his throat.

"So you said," continued Ms Bevell, "But you are yet to elaborate on how you created such a disaster in the first place, and what happened to stop the end of the world."

Sam hung his head, his chin resting on his chest. "Magic, ok? The mark of Cain and some heavy duty magic. That's what started it all, and magic and help from some friends ended it all."

"And what friends would they be?" She asked, jotting notes down as Sam spoke.

Sam glared once again, "Why would I tell you that? So you can truss them up like you have me?" he spat, pulling against his chains to emphasis his point.

Ms Bevell looked up from her notes, her pen pausing above the paper, she kept Sam's eye contact for a few seconds before closing her book and looking to the other woman in the room who promptly stepped forwards, a new instrument of persuasion in her hands.

XxXx

Mary stepped out of the bathroom, pausing as she tried to remember which of the rooms Dean had indicated she could stay in. She pushed open the door to her left revealing a room decorated with weapons, a few old records and just the one photograph by the bed. Intrigued to find out more about the man she quickly moved across the room and plucked the picture from its resting place. She stared at it for a few long seconds before barging from the room fuelled by fury as she marched to the main area where she had left Dean.

"What the hell is this?!" She demanded as she spotted his figure doubled over a book on the table.

Dean spun, his shock obvious. "Sorry?"

"What the hell are you doing with this picture?!" She spat, throwing the photograph down onto the table beside him.

Dean looked down and sighed, she'd found the photo of the two of them taken a few weeks before she'd died in that fire. He was hoping to have explained everything calmly but apparently that wasn't an option now. "I can explain, just hear me out." He said gently.

Mary scoffed, "I can't wait to hear how you're going to explain this one. Why is there a picture of my son in this, this-" she gestured around them as she stumbled over her words, shrugging off Dean's touch and stepping backwards away from him. "Who are you really?"

Holding his hands out in a pacifying manner Dean stepped back slightly. "You're going to find this hard to believe, but my name is Dean Winchester and I'm your son."

"No way, my son is at home, he's 4 years old!" She shouted, pointing at the photograph again, "We took that picture just the other week."

"I promise you it's the truth, I don't know how else to say it." He looked down at the photograph, picking it up gently, "This was taken in 1983, a few weeks before a fire in Sam's nursery." Getting no response from his mother Dean continued, "You're favourite song is Hey Jude, you sing it as a lullaby to me and Sam. The car outside, belonged to our dad, John." He paused, "You died in 1983 in the fire," he continued gently, "You've been dead for over 30 years. I'm sorry, but I don't know what else I can say."

Mary looked at the man in front of her, the man who was supposedly her son. For a full minute she said nothing as she took in each detail of him finding all the parts that reminded her of John. Finally she turned away, tears pricking at her eyes. "I need a minute." She said simply.

Dean took a step towards her, desperate to reach out to her, "I didn't want you to find out this way. I thought that Sam and me…." His words faded as his eyes flicked back to the sigil pained on the wall. Mary's shoulders stiffened as he mentioned his brother's name and she turned to face him.

"We're going to get Sam back." She said determinedly, "Tell me everything you know."

XxXx

'Cas, please Cas, I need your help.'

Sam had been praying repeatedly between interrogation sessions but not knowing what sigil had been painted on the wall he had no way of knowing what had happened to him. The door opened again and in walked Ms Bevell and her silent assistant once again.

"The old men are getting tired of this lack of information." She said simply as she seated herself a few meters away from Sam. "If you don't give us something more useful soon things are going to have to escalate."

"Perhaps if you'd had been a little more polite from the beginning you would have more information." Sam muttered, eyeing the second woman warily as she moved towards a table where various object rested.

She opened her notebook once again, her pen poised, "The angel you were travelling with. How did you persuade him to leave heaven? Did you compel him somehow? With a spell perhaps?"

"Why didn't you ask him before you used your sigil on him?" trying his best to remain defiant, after all, Dean wouldn't want him to give in to this kind of treatment.

Silence greeted Sam's accusation before a blow torch was lit on the other side of the room.

"I'll ask you again." Came Ms Bevells calm voice, "How did you convince an angel to join you?"

XxXx

Dean leapt from his seat as he heard the bunker door open, his gun pointed at the staircase as a pair of male legs appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Sam?" Castiel's voice drifted down into the bunker as more of the man came into view. "Sam are you alright?"

Dean lowered his gun, recognising the voice of his friend.

Cas reached the bottom of the steps, pausing as he spotted Dean stood in the same place as the woman used the banishing sigil from. "Dean?" His voice showing his surprise even is his traditionally less expressive face hid most of his emotions.

"Hey Cas." Dean replied simply before being swept into an embrace involving a few meaningful pats on the back as if Cas was checking how real he was, when he stepped back his face was adorned with a wide smile.

"I should have known better." Said Cas, a knowing smirk on his lips. "Even the end of the world can't kill a Winchester."

Dean nodded before his expression became serious again, "Where is Sam?"

XxXx

Sam's head flopped onto his chest, sweat sticking his hair to his face. He'd been stripped down to his t-shirt, which was now far from white, as Ms Bevells assistant continued to try and get information from him.

"Shall we try a simpler question perhaps?" Came the chirpy British voice he had learnt to loath. "How did you come across the Men of Letters in the first place? Come on, I'm sure you can tell me that without revealing whatever it is you're so desperate to hide."

"Surprised you don't already know." He replied, a hint of sarcasm in his tired voice. He winced as his head was pulled back up by his hair and a blade run across his chest bringing forth a glisten of blood standing out starkly against his dirty white shirt. He hissed in pain. "Our grandfather." He said through gritted teeth. Maybe if he gave them just enough information he could outlast them, until Cas could figure out where he was.

'Can you hear me Cas? Please, I can't get out alone.'


	3. Chapter 3

Obviously the further through the writing I got the more spoilers were released but I promised myself not to start the uploading until I was close enough finished in case I never finished. On that note, I won't bore you with the details but things have gotten very sketchy for me right now so the last little bits might take a little longer then planned.

I'm hoping to get this all written and hopefully published before the season premier but we shall see how that all pans out, at this point I've got chapter 5 written and ready to be uploaded with perhaps just 1 or 2 more chapters to go depending on how it writes itself.  
Anyways, enjoy

 **Chapter 3**

Cas could feel Dean's intense stare, he felt like he should be blamed for the loss of the younger Winchester, but he also knew there was nothing he could have done to stop it. "We arrived back here, there was a woman waiting for us. I don't know what happened to Sam, she banished me before we realised what was going on. All I know was that she was British."

Dean slumped, his eyes flicking back towards Mary as she stood beside the table watching the exchange closely. "Mom, this is Castiel, he's a good friend of ours."

If Cas was surprised he did a very good job of hiding it as he moved towards Mary, "I am truly, very sorry about Sam." He said simply, his voice full of remorse. "Have you made any progress with locating him?" He asked, turning back to Dean.

Dean shook his head, "But if she was British, that could make sense." He moved back to the table followed closely by Cas and Mary. He flipped through one of the many large Men of Letters reference books, stopping on a page predominantly featuring a world map with several annotations.

"There are other branches of the Men of Letters?" asked Cas, leaning forwards to examine the page more closely. "Including London."

Nodding Dean continued his explanation. "You can't just walk in here uninvited, and there obviously wasn't any sign of a forced entry." He paused and looked to the angel for confirmation before continuing. "Which means that whoever it was must have had a key. We've assumed that there were no other branches, there's never been any mention of other branches in any of the stuff we've looked through so far, and no-one's ever tried to contact us."

"But you thought the Men of Letters had been destroyed by Abaddon, so perhaps the other branches did also." Cas added.

"Exactly, but if she had a key, and a British accent." Dean pointed at London on the map "I bet she's one of them." Dean looked expectantly at Cas only to find him gazing off into the distance. "Sorry, am I boring you?"

Silence reigned for a few moments longer before Cas realised all eyes were on him.

XxXx

"What made you think you could handle the information held by the Men of Letters?" Once again the calm, calculated British voice swept over Sam as he sat chained to a chair in the middle of the room.

Sam didn't answer, he simply stared at the blood and sweat staining his jeans, praying to the only friend he had left who he could count on, Castiel. He was surprised by a taser shock to the back of his shoulder, bringing him out of his near trance. "Cas!" He screamed involuntarily as the electricity flowed through his body.

XxXx

"Sam." Cas whispered as he blinked the world back into focus.

"What?" Dean asked, his irritation barely concealed.

Cas moved away from the group, grabbing a map from a nearby desk and spreading it out before moving on again. "I felt him, his presence to be more exact." Picking up a candle he placed it in the top right corner of the map, "it's weak, distorted almost." He continued.

Mary watched as Dean stalked over to his friend, his confusion evident but so was the trust he had in his companion. She made to moved towards the pair as Castiel grabbed Dean by the wrist, slicing his hand open with a concealed blade with no explanation and dripping the blood onto the map. Only Dean's calm shake of his head stopped her instincts to protect her newly found son at all costs.

"He called out to me but it's hard to fully grasp." He used the droplets of Deans blood to draw a small circular symbol before beginning to chant a repetitive phrase under his breath.

Mary raised an eyebrow at her son mouthing 'what is he doing?' as Dean wrapped a bandana around his hand.

"Just give him a moment." Dean began, intending to explain Cas's angelic knowledge once he had finished and given him the answer he was hoping to get.

"It's not strong enough," muttered Cas, glancing at Dean, his expression changing to one less gloomy as he set his eyes on Mary. "Blood of the mother, it might give it that little boost." Beckoning Mary towards him he produced his angel blade once more.

"It's ok, I trust Cas with my life. If this helps us find Sam he can have as much blood as he needs." Dean proclaimed.

Cas added the few drops of Mary's blood to Dean's, mixing the two and recommencing his chant. After about 10 seconds he stopped abruptly, the map caught fire, shrinking in size until only a small section remained. The flames disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared yet still Cas didn't move, his eyes closed in concentration. "There is warding against me, Sam is, alive." He winced, "I can sense his presence, his pain…" Cas stumbled backwards into Dean's supportive arms before regaining his composure.

Mary stepped forwards, her bleeding hand forgotten, "What do you mean 'you sense his presence'?" a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Sensing his friend's exhaustion Dean offered what explanation he could, "Cas is an angel mom." He began, not sure exactly how to explain all an angel could do with the power of heaven at his disposal.

"I performed a locator spell. Sam called out to me with enough determination to break through the angelic warding, just barely, and allow me to narrow his location down." He waved a hand towards the small section of map remaining on the table. "Blood links to blood, so with your help I could trace his prayer back to him. The warding should have stopped me from sensing him altogether, I do not wish to guess to why I could sense even what little I managed."

Dean looked to the small section of map remaining on the desk, "It's a start, maybe if we're closer you can get a better grasp on Sam."

XxXx

Sam wasn't sure if he should be relieved or not that his questioning was interrupted. This was the first time that he'd seen anyone other than Ms Bevell and her assistant for quite some time, and now they were standing by the door quietly discussing something that he couldn't quiet hear. All of a sudden Ms Bevell stormed over to him, grabbing his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. Sam recoiled, this was the first time she had actually laid hands on him herself since she'd tied and gaged him in the bunker and she was clearly furious.

"Where is your brother?!" She demanded, staring into Sam's eyes. "Where is Dean?!"

Sam was confused, why the sudden interest in Dean again? He was dead and he thought they'd accepted that. "I told you, he died saving the world, saving you." He replied, mustering as much spite as he could in his exhausted state.

She slapped him across the face with more force than Sam would have expected. "Stop lying Sam Winchester, where can we find him?" Getting no response she slapped him again. "Alright, who helped you with the magic you apparently used to save the world? Maybe they'll be more helpful."

Sam lifted his head, a slight smirk on his lips, "Alright, I'll tell you who helped us save the world." He was tired, oh so tired, but his voice was strong, he wanted desperately to see his interrogators reaction to what he had to say. "Good luck getting any of them to talk to you though." He laughed a little, a laugh that turned into a tired cough.

"Spit it out already. Who helped you, and where can I find them and your brother?" The usually calm British voice was near breaking point.

"A powerful reaper, an ancient witch, the king of hell, and oh, God." Said Sam, straight faced and staring Ms Bevell straight in the eye.

Landing one final slap which left Sam with a bleeding lip Ms Bevell stalked away, giving instructions to the guard at the door before leaving. The guard entered, his face unemotional as he crouched down in front of Sam.

"Looks like you pissed her ladyship off. Bad news, I've got permission to get answers any way I can." He moved away to the table off to Sam's left where he picked up something small, "But for now, she wants you under control." He revealed a syringe and quickly stuck it into Sam's arm.

'Cas… Castiel, please…' Sam prayed as the drugs began to take effect, the world spinning as he tried to stay focused. 'Can you hear me Cas? I need…' he drifted into an uneasy sleep as the drugs took hold.

XxXx

Dean gunned the Impala's engine, the area Cas had narrowed Sam's location down to was a few hours away from the bunker, but he wasn't prepared to wait that long, not when his little brother was in danger. He watched the needle on the speed dial swing further round to the right as they sped down the empty roads between the bunker and Sam. He glanced to his right at his mother, there had been no persuading her to stay behind once she'd accepted that Dean was in fact her grown up son. Mary Winchester had been brought up a hunter and Dean had seen her in action to protect her family. He looked back to the road just in time to see a car begin to pull out directly into their path. Dean slammed on the brakes but it wasn't enough to fully avoid a collision, the other car slamming to the back corner of baby and sending her into a spin.

Dean felt his mother flop onto his shoulder, blood running down the side of her face where she had obviously taken a blow as the car spun. Propping her up carefully he opened his door and glanced into the back seat. "Cas? You alright?" he asked.

"I'll look after your mother." Cas replied, jerking his head in the general direction of the other car as a woman dressed all in black emerged and walked purposefully towards them.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4, probably 1, maybe 2 more to go after this. I didn't want to write an epic story, just something to tide us all over using what little info we have.

This is a little short but it seemed like a good point to pause. Enjoy.

 **Chapter 5**

"What the hell?!" Dean demanded of the woman as he positioned himself between her and his car where Cas was crouched next to his mother.

The woman stood calmly facing him, her hands behind her back, her face expressionless.

"Did you not see me coming?" Dean asked getting more frustrated by the minute. This was slowing him down getting to Sam and every minute mattered when it came to rescuing his brother.

The woman continued forwards, "Perhaps if you hadn't been speeding…" she suggested.

Dean's eyes widened, it couldn't be a coincidence that this woman who had so calmly crashed into him had a British accent. "Where is Sam?" he growled, reaching for his pistol. Dean was too slow however as the British woman lashed out, her punch landing more of a sting than he would have expected, he forgot about his pistol as it was knocked from his hand and set about defending from the onslaught from what appeared to be a trained fighter. He parried her blows keeping the worst of the attack at bay until he was surprised and sent flying backwards. Castiel was quick to jump into the fray but didn't fare much better, the pair of them ending up on the ground unarmed.

Mary blinked in the bright sunlight as she came to, gingerly feeling her head, her fingers coming away sticky and red. Anticipating Dean standing over her she was surprised by her sons absence, not even his friend, Castiel wasn't it, nearby. She looked behind her, through the open door and immediately dragged herself from the car, picking up the angel's dropped blade as she did so. She could see Dean and Castiel on the ground by a second car, the woman in black holding at gun aimed firmly at her son. Mary didn't think about her actions, she simply allowed her body to react, plunging the blade into the woman's back without a second thought.

Dean hadn't seen Mary come up behind his attacker until the woman in black fell to the floor. He gingerly picked himself up, watching Cas do the same off to his left, he eyed his mother and the woman on the floor, not sure what to say. Mary remained poised to fight for a few seconds before dropping the angel blade to the floor in apparent shock.

"Hey, Mom, it's ok." Dean said gently, picking up Cas's blade and holding it out for the angel to reclaim.

Mary nodded a little and moved back to the Impala, the only thing that truly felt familiar and safe to her since it had been John's car years ago.

Dean knelt in front of her, "Thank you." He said simply.

"I just stabbed her Dean, that woman, a human." She was numb with shock, she wasn't sure how to feel, her hunter past was just that, her past.

"That woman was ready to kill me, and Cas." Dean replied with a careful, even tone. "And I'd bet you anything she's connected with Sam's disappearance." He shuffled forwards ever so slightly, "You reacted on instinct, good instincts, don't be ashamed of that."

Mary nodded, raising her head and making eye contact with her son, feeling reassured by his presence and his words.

"Are you alright? You took quite a bang on the head." He brushed his mother's hair gently to the side to get a better look at the injury.

She nodded, gently pushing his hand away after a second. "All that matters now, is getting Sam back."

XxXx

Sam jolted awake as a slap connected firmly with his already bruised cheek. He had no idea how long he'd been out of it for but the drugs hadn't left him feeling rested.

"Time you give us some real information." It was the same man who had drugged him who was apparently now taking over the interrogation. "Let's talk about the archives you've had access to, all those books, weapons and the like."

Sam groaned his dissatisfaction at the question. What could they possibly want to know about their own resources?

The man scowled, "You want to watch yourself boy. We have ways of making you talk."

XxXx

"Here." Castiel said, indicating for Dean to pull over as they entered the small town.

As the Impala came to a stop Dean watched as the angel entered a trance-like state.

"There is angel warding…" Cas said quietly, his eyes still closed, his forehead wrinkling slightly in concentration. "It seems a whole block has been warded against me."

Dean glanced back at his mother in the back seat before looking back to Cas, "So there's a good chance that's where Sam is?"

Opening his eyes Castiel fixed his gaze firmly on his friend, "I cannot say for certain this is where Sam is being kept. The warding is stopping me from sensing anything, which would imply someone is trying to hide something from angels." Understanding Dean's unvoiced question he continued after a brief pause. "It is roughly this area I sensed Sam while we were in the bunker."

"Good enough for me." Dean said firmly, glancing back at his mother who nodded her agreement. "I suppose you won't be coming with us?"

"I doubt I can get much closer than this." Cas shook his head, an apologetic look on his face, "If you get Sam out, bring him to me and I will get him to safety." He added.

Dean clapped him on the shoulder with a nod of thanks. "If we see any warding we'll get rid of it."

Ten minutes later Dean and Mary began their search leaving Cas by the impala down a secluded side street on the outskirts of town. Dean presumed that he was the last person they would expect to come rescue Sam given that they no doubt believed him to be dead. He allowed himself an amused snort, he probably wasn't the _last_ person expected to be on the rescue mission, that title would surely go to his back-from-the-dead mother. As they neared the centre of the angel-free-zone the house they were looking for became obvious, two large men pretending to be gardening on an overcast day was a dead giveaway.

"Hang back, I'll get rid of these guys first." Dean said, stopping by a large tree a few houses away, "I might need help with Sam, he's considerably bigger than you'd remember him…" he added with a grin. He hoped Sam wouldn't need to be carried out but given he'd obviously been shot there was no knowing what state they'd find him in.

Mary noticed the surprise look on her son's face as she agreed easily to his plan, as if he was expecting a fight. There was still obviously things she didn't know about his past and why he would expect such a reaction from her. The truth was that she didn't trust she could handle herself the way she used to, Dean was going to be more effective on his own.

XxXx

Sam's interrogation was paused at the sound of a scuffle outside the door. He willed the exhaustion and residual effects of the drugs out of his system, focusing on the noise outside. As if he sensed Sam's preparation his interrogator quickly produced a gag and silenced any attempts to call out that he might make. Forced to simply watch and wait Sam pulled quietly on his bonds, knowing it was futile but feeling like he should be doing something in readiness for whoever was on the other side of the door.

After a minute or two the door flew inwards, Sam's line of sight was blocked but his gun wielding interrogator but his heart faltered as he heard the short exchange, and a voice he knew all too well.

"You're not dead." Said the black clad Brit calmly.

There was a short pause before Dean's gruff voice responded, dripping with sarcasm. "No, it seems not."

Sam stopped pulling at his bonds at the sound of his brother's voice. He had to be hallucinating, the effects of whatever drugs they had injected him with. He hung his head, taking deep breaths and scrunching his eyes closed as he tried to push the painful memories from his mind. Dean was dead, the fact that the world hadn't ended was confirmation enough. They had planted that soul bomb in his chest, he'd gone to kill Amara knowing full well it would kill him too. Dean was dead.

"Well that's certainly unexpected." Replied the Brit, his gun remaining trained on Dean's chest. "We were told to expect the angel, not the brother."

"Well sorry to disappoint, now if I could just collect my brother, I'll be on my way."


	5. Chapter 5

Firstly, I'm blown away guys, thank you for the amazing response to the last chapter, I'm glad you're all enjoying it! Please keep telling me what you think, I'm not sure on my characterisation at points but I guess it can't be too bad after all. Remember, every bit of feedback (good or bad) helps motivate the writing bunny that hops around in my head.  
Sorry for the slow update, without boring everyone with details, I've had a very busy and unsettled few weeks which has included sleeping in 5 beds, finally I seem to have somewhere settled to live for the next few months (fingers crossed please everyone!). Hopefully I'll have the last few chapters written shortly and uploaded ASAP!

Again, a little short I'm afraid, but again it was a good point to pause, I guess we'll have to see where the story takes me as to how long it will end up being.

 **Chapter 5**

Sam could feel the world around him spinning, that horrible feeling when you've drunk too much but aren't drunk enough to simply pass out. He gulped down a wave of nausea and forced himself to focus on the situation unfolding in front of him. Two men were fighting but he could make out little more since they were moving too fast for his drugged mind to process. He blinked several times, nothing became any clearer, but he'd heard Dean's voice hadn't he?

Letting his head fall onto his chest Sam tried to think logically, Dean was dead, which meant there was no way her could be here saving him, this had to be a hallucination.

"Sam?" A worried female voice, right next to him, brushing his hair away from his face.

It was a recognisable voice, Sam could tell that much through the drug haze. Jody perhaps? Or Donna? No, it was something else. He forced his head up, squinting his eyes open to get a look at the person beside him. He caught a glimpse of a smile before they set about releasing him from the chair the British Men of Letters had had him trussed up on for the past, he wasn't really sure how long.

There was a final thud, a quiet groan and then silence.

"How is he?" Asked Dean's voice, only it couldn't be Dean. Dean was dead.

The woman moved away from Sam's legs which were now free from their restraints. "He's pretty banged up…" It was a familiar voice that Sam couldn't quite place.

Someone lifted Sam's head from his chest, gently holding his face with both hands, removing the cloth gag as they did so. "Sammy? You alright?" Only Dean called him Sammy….

"D'n?" He slurred, the drugs trying to force his brain into shutting down. He forced his eyes open, everything was blurry, but that blurry face did have a striking resemblance to his brother. "Not real." He muttered, "Dead."

"No, no. Sammy?" The voice just didn't give up did it. "I'm real, everything worked out, the bomb didn't go off… Come on Sammy, you gotta wake up."

Sam closed his eyes, trying desperately to process the information. His hallucination had mentioned the bomb, the one that had been in Dean's chest. He hadn't told the Men of Letters that, had he?

"We should get out of here." Said the woman as she stood from behind Sam, a hand on his shoulder, was that placed there protectively? He still couldn't work out that voice, but she was right, if he had a chance to escape he should take it.

"Can you stand Sammy?"

It was more and more believable, his hallucination was helping him up, just like Dean would, supporting him how Dean supported him, how only a few people were strong enough to support him. "Dean?" He asked again, his realisation fighting the effects of the drugs, making the world a little clearer. He stumbled and Dean caught him, he felt real.

"You go ahead," Dean said, presumably to the woman with him and he heaved Sam up, taking more of his weight.

"Are you alright with him?" She asked from close by on Sam's other side, definitely protective Sam decided.

Sam felt Dean nod before they began to move forward, slowly, carefully, Dean taking most of Sam's considerable weight as his injured leg collapsed repeatedly beneath him and his comparatively good leg failed to keep him stabilised.

They left the small cellar-like room Sam had been kept in but had barely taken 3 steps down the corridor before Dean's voice rang out. "Mom!"

Sam gasped slightly as he was lowered quickly to the floor, the pain from his many injuries wanting him to protest more, but the drugs keeping him sedated. Dean had shouted 'Mom', this had to be a hallucination he decided and pulled himself onto his feet using the wall for support. He could see the fight ahead of him, but there was a door to his left, with bright sunlight flowing underneath. Since everyone was otherwise occupied Sam took his chance, stumbling through the door and into a large sunroom, he grabbed a nearby chair and used all of his remaining strength to throw it through one of the floor to ceiling windows.

XxXx

Cas felt a shift in the area around him, it took him a few moments to fully grasp what had changed but when he did he acted immediately. The angel warding had been broken. It took him mere seconds to get into Dean's Impala and speed away from its secluded parking spot, he would have liked to have teleported but it was simply not in his power to do so. His angel powers had been restored somewhat by Chuck, perhaps time would return him to full strength, after all, Chuck had healed him while dying.

Minutes later he screeched to a halt outside the house where he could clearly feel Mary Winchester's presence. He hadn't had time to protect her with angel warding just yet and at this moment in time was glad for it. Hoping to see Dean, Sam and their mother ready to be picked up he was surprised to see only the youngest Winchester, alone.

XxXx

Sam had stumbled through the broken window, falling a few times first when his injured leg gave way yet again, then as he tried to stand the shards of glass under his feet slipped unexpectedly. He was now sporting new injuries to add to his already impressive list, but at least he was outside, all he had to do was get away from this house, to find some help, or a phone. As he debated on who best to call for help he pulled himself around the side of the nice suburban house where he spotted the Impala arriving.

He collapsed once again as his injuries got the better of him, his vision was swimming making him feel nauseous and his mind was still foggy thanks to the drugs. The sight of his brother's car gave him hope and after a few deep breaths he began to pull himself to his feet once again, as he fell he felt strong arms catch him, slowing his decent. He felt a hand on his head before suddenly the effects of the drugs left him.

"Cas?" He asked as he looked up. "You came." He said simply. He might not have the dizziness or fogginess affecting him now, but that had simply been replaced by complete exhaustion.

The angel nodded, frustrated at his healing limitations. "Come on." He replied, hauling Sam to his feet.

Sam helped his friend the best he could, leaning against the wall for support for as long as he could while Castiel manoeuvred him quickly towards the waiting Impala. "How long…?"

"4 days."

Sam scoffed, "Only 4 days before I start hallucinating." He paused as Cas lowered him gently into the car, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Maybe it was the drugs, but I swear I saw Dean, he helped me escape."

"Where is he Sam? Why is he not with you?" Demanded Cas, looking back towards the house.

Sam's face scrunched into a confused frown. "He's dead Cas… Amara…" He swallowed down the lump in his throat.

Cas shook his head vigorously, "Dean is alive Sam. Dean rescued you."

* * *

 **Who else is excited for the imminent season 12 premiere?** Hands up / shout out / dance on the table / grab the salt... .


	6. Chapter 6

This took me a long time to write, I hope this doesn't feel too disjointed.

I moved away from the spoilers at this point since when I started this section the new pictures hadn't come out for episode 2 so I was free wheeling. By the time the spoilers came out, I was too far in to go back and change things. In short, this section will be totally different to what actually happens unlike anything before which might hold some semblance to what happens in the episodes (although probably not).

 **Chapter 6**

It took Sam a moment to process what Cas had told him, "Dean is alive?" He asked, he wasn't entirely convinced he'd heard the angel correctly.

Castiel nodded, "We can explain everything later, where is he?"

"If Dean's still in there," Sam paused as he forced himself up, only to collapse back into the Impala's back seat as his leg gave way. "We have to help him." He said through gritted teeth determined to get back to his brother.

"I couldn't help while the property was warded against me, but that seems to have been broken. Stay here," Castiel said simply, handing Sam the pistol he'd been carrying in addition to his angel blade. "I'll go and find Dean." He placed a hand gently on Sam's shoulder as the injured man glared at the angel and tried to stand again. "You are in no state to help Dean and I am not able to heal you."

Even adrenaline couldn't stop Sam from feeling the extent of his injuries and he begrudgingly conceded the point. Nodding his agreement he watched Cas move swiftly towards the house before reaching to grab one of the many cell phones kept in the glovebox, just in case.

XxXx

Dean watched as his mother fell to the floor, his protective instincts rising to the surface even more so than when he was with Sam. He barged past one of the well-built 'gardeners' from earlier and threw a punch at the other's jaw, cursing himself for not being more thorough in disabling them in the first place. Unfortunately the first man recovered quickly and grabbed Dean from behind, a gun placed firmly against the side of his abdomen.

"Don't." Warned the man holding Dean as Mary reached for the gun which had been knocked from her hands. "It might not kill him, but it'll hurt like hell." He said, jabbing Dean with the barrel of the gun for good measure.

Mary faltered, allowing the man Dean had punched to kick the gun away and pull her to her feet, holding her firmly against his body, her arms pinned and his arm across her chest, a silent threat against struggling too hard.

It wasn't until this point that Dean looked around to check on Sam, who wasn't where he'd left him.

XxXx

Castiel traced Sam's route around the side of the house, planning to enter the same way he had escaped, finding the broken window he stopped for a few seconds to examine an unusual glint in the broken glass, a fine thread of something metallic had been woven into the glass, almost invisible to the human eye. Reaching out with his angelic senses he felt the broken warding around him, they had obviously woven a sigil into the widows, where nobody would think to look. He stepped through into the large sunroom, pausing by the door as he heard angry voices from the other side.

XxXx

"Where did he go?" Shouted the guard holding Dean as he followed the Winchester's gaze to where Sam should have been. When Dean and Mary offered no explanation he pressed the muzzle of his gun harder into Dean's abdomen. "Where is he?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Dean snarled, biting back a less polite response. "I was preoccupied." He hoped that Sam was safe but his little brother didn't seem in a fit state to have gone too far, meaning he would most likely be found, and presumably returned to his chair, soon. Dean caught his mother's eye, giving her a small wink, If he could keep the guards occupied perhaps she could get away and find Sam. He'd work something out later.

Throwing his head back Dean felt the back of his skull connect with his captors nose, hopefully breaking it. The shock was enough for Dean to slip free of his hold, pushing the muzzle of the gun towards the floor as he wrestled it from his grip.

XxXx

Castiel sprung into motion as sounds of a fight broke out, he'd heard Dean's voice and at least one other's, he presumed Mary Winchester was still with her son and presumably one man couldn't have both hunters cornered without options. With his angel blade at the ready Castiel barged through the door.

Hearing the door open behind him the man Dean had been fighting spun to investigate, his nose steadily dripping blood, his pistol in the hands of a Winchester. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the glint of a knife moments before it entered his abdomen. He fell to the floor in a bloodied mess, revealing the angel to the other British Man who froze in shock.

"Cas?" Dean said in surprise, before gathering his wits. "Find Sam."

Cas watched as Mary Winchester quickly disarmed the second man, pointing the gun steadily at his chest. "Sam is-" He began before his sentence was finished by another.

"-Safe." Came a condescending British woman's voice. Judging by the fact that she sounded like she had been tutored by the Queen of England, Dean could only assume she was in charge of this operation. She rounded the corner with Sam ahead of her, a knife at his throat and a gun pressed into the small of his back. "Well isn't this a surprise, Dean Winchester is alive after all. Sammy here had us convinced you were dead."

Dean watched Sam tense against the knife as the Woman of Letters used his nickname. "De-"

"Ah," Said the Woman, jabbing Sam firmly with her pistol, cutting him off. "I said no talking did I not." She looked to the man Mary held at gun point, a small nod of her head all the instruction he required before reaching for the gun.

Mary instinctively recoiled but hesitated as she heard a pained grunt from Sam. She glanced round and saw a fresh trail of red making its way down his neck into the collar of his dirty white shirt. Knowing there was nothing they could do without Sam being hurt further Mary relinquished her gun and allowed herself to be steered towards Dean and Castiel.

"The English division of the Men of Letters I presume?" Dean asked, a small twinge of satisfaction as he noticed the slight hint of confusion crossing her face.

"British." She corrected quickly, holding the youngest Winchester firmly. "I've been sent to finally deal with you, to stop you creating such havoc on an almost daily basis."


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, so the wait for this chapter was obscene and I'm very sorry for that. A lot has happened since my last update including travelling back home to the UK from Australia and starting a new job with Christmas and family commitments in the middle. Add to that a severe lack of a writing muse and you have a very long wait.  
I'm not sure how I feel about this, it's not headed in the direction I anticipated and didn't flow very well while I was writing. Please let me know what you think.

 **Chapter 7**

Dean opened his mouth to respond, closing it again as he realised he didn't really know how to respond to the woman. Instead he looked over his little brother, a glean of sweat and blood across his skin, his legs trembling beneath him as he was forced to stand, the knife digging at the soft flesh of his neck as he tried to shift his weight onto his uninjured leg.

"If you're so concerned about the Winchesters actions then why have you not shown yourselves before now?" Asked Castiel, his anger carefully concealed.

"A fair question." Admitted the woman opposite them, "The British like to do things properly you see, discussions, plans, it takes time. We don't go headfirst into a situation without a plan." Emphasising the 'We' she stared down the angel, her gaze unfaltering. "Now, all of you, in there if you don't mind." She finished, indicating the room which they had just released Sam from.

Both hunters and the angel gave the Woman of Letters a long, hard look before begrudgingly obeying and filing cautiously into the room, Dean leading and Castiel bringing up the rear, followed by the rearmed Man of Letters and finally Sam shuffling slowly in front of the woman.

"Sit." She barked, pushing Sam towards the chair he'd been chained to until very recently. When he refused she aimed the gun instead at Dean. "I said, Sit."

As he lowered himself reluctantly into the chair Sam felt a protective presence move behind him as the black clad man moved towards him. The man looked Sam up and down, a hint of satisfaction on his face as he produced a handful of heavy duty zip-ties from his pocket.

"You better have a damned good explanation for all this." Dean growled from his position behind his brother.

The woman shrugged, "We needed information."

"You didn't think that simply asking questions was a better option than going straight to shooting me?" Sam snapped, feeling a new wave of resentment and anger towards the British Woman.

The man glanced back at the woman who shook her head slightly. "American hunters aren't known for their manners." She replied simply, moving towards the table at the side of the room, followed by the silent man, a knowing smirk on his lips.

Mary moved a step closer to her boys, standing level with Sam while Castiel stood slightly behind and to the left. She knew something was up. Realistically Dean, Castiel and herself could overpower the not-so-intimidating woman and her bodyguard, yet she was so sure of herself that it had made them reconsider. A look to her left confirmed Dean had similarly mixed feelings about the situation.

Castiel's face hardened slightly, "I learnt not to live by simply following prejudices. Humans have often surprised me, the Winchesters most of all."

"Yes, I heard about you, the pet angel." Lady Bevel said in a dismissive tone, not taking her eyes from her work on the table in front of her. "So sorry about the banishing spell, we're not familiar with angels in quite the same way you see." As she finished speaking she quickly sprinkled a small amount of grey dust onto the table in a circular motion, muttering under her breath as she did so.

Almost instantly Dean was forced to grab Sam's shoulders as he slumped forwards in the chair, Mary quick to kneel in front of her son, trying to rouse him unsuccessfully.

"What did you do?" Growled Dean, pulling his brother more securely onto the chair and holding him tightly as his body threatened to slip to the side. Cas stiffened as he watched the older Winchester support his brother.

The Brit dusted her hands off, her face emotionless. "A simple sleeping spell."

"Undo it." Dean growled, the threat in his voice impossible to miss. "If you want any answers at all you'll stop the spell right now."

Castiel focused his attention on the British Men of Letters by the table, the woman's guard seemed to have relaxed, presuming his prisoners were less of a threat as the Winchesters worried over Sam's slumped form. He could see an opportunity, glancing at Dean he knew he could take it.

"I suggest you do as Dean has requested." He said simply, taking a few paces forward causing the man to raise his pistol. "The more you antagonise a Winchester, the less helpful they will be." His face remained expressionless as he took two more slow, meaningful steps forward.

"Stop." Ordered the gunman, the slightest hint of a quiver in his voice.

Castiel's face remained expressionless as he considered the gun for a few seconds before the room was filled with a bright light, his shadow revealing two slightly tattered wings while his eyes glowed a bright blue.

The gunman hesitated in the face of the angelic revelation, turning his head away as the glare of the light became too much, his aim wavering as he looked away. Dean sprung into motion, trusting his mother to continue supporting Sam's limp body he covered the distance between them in a few swift paces. Using Castiel's distraction he caught the gunman unaware, disarming him and sending him sprawling to the floor. A meaningful kick to the head ensured that he would play no further part in the discussions.

Before the glare of Castiel's revelation had faded there was a second flash of bright white light forcing even Dean to cover his eyes. He knew exactly what had happened, an angel banishing sigil had been used, but with the Woman of Letter's gunman out of action the fight was considerably more even.

Dean stood, raising the gun at the Woman of Letters. "Undo the spell." He repeated, "I won't ask again." The woman remained defiant, refusing to move. "You are alone in a room with two very pissed off Winchesters, probably best to do as you're asked." Dean added after a short silence.

She looked at the table reluctantly, "Only one Winchester capable of anything." She said quietly as she mixed a selection of powers and herbs into a small bowl.

"He wasn't counting Sam." Mary responded from her position next to her son. This was enough to make the woman pause and look up from her concoction.


End file.
